POLITICS OF U.S. OCCUPATION (AMERICAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION Washington DC 2010 Master of Fine Arts degree in Film THESIS FILM PROJECT)
I wrote, directed, shot and edited the documentary, Politics of U.S. Occupation, which features Linguistics Professor Noam Chomsky of Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Women's Studies Professor Neferti Tadiar of Barnard College (New York), Asian American Studies Professor Nerissa Balce of Stony Brook University (New York) and Political Science Professor Kenneth Bauzon of St. Joseph's College (New York) who analyze the 1899 Philippine-American War in order to rediscover its historical similarities to the so-called post-9/11 War on Terror. My MFA thesis adviser at American University School of Communication was Professor Russell Williams, who won the Academy Award for Best Sound in Glory (1989) and Dances with Wolves (1990). Electric guitar music was performed by Rogel Maprangala.

SYNOPSIS
The purpose of the half-hour documentary, Politics of U.S. Occupation, was to challenge the historical awareness of the audience as it explores the following:

Firstly, it argues the idea that the Philippine-American war of 1899 (and not World War II) is the foundation of Philippine-U.S. relations. The film also visually shows footage of World War II combat and deaths that were just as traumatic as the images of the Philippine American war.

Secondly, it describes the idea that the Philippine-American war of 1899 was characterized by systematic use of torture (despite official U.S. denials). One of the torture techniques used in the Philippines was the "water cure" - better known now as "water boarding."

Thirdly, it explains the idea that the brutality of the Philippine-American war was not much different from the brutality of the U.S. conquest of its indigenous population- known as the Indian Wars. We also learn that this turn of the century repression of Catholic and Muslim resistance fighters in the Philippines became the template used by the U.S. in its armed interventions in Latin America and the Middle East.

Lastly, it suggests the feminist idea that there is often an interconnectedness between the violence within the United States and U.S. violence overseas as exemplified in the migration of the Indian wars atrocities (e.g. 1890 Wounded Knee massacre) and the Philippine-American war abuses (e.g. 1906 Bud Dajo massacre) to the post-9/11 Iraq War atrocities.

THE USE OF THIRD PARTY AUDIOVISUAL IMAGES OR TEXTS IN POLITICS OF U.S. OCCUPATION IS BASED ON THE STATEMENT OF BEST PRACTICES IN FAIR USE FOR DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS AND ONLINE VIDEO PRODUCERS PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR MEDIA AND SOCIAL IMPACT AND THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW IN THE LINKS BELOW:
http://www.cmsimpact.org/fair-use
https://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/bestpractices